[Interview] TATE SEDAR Redefines His Path, Then Redefines the Genre In 'THIS IS POST EDM'

TATE SEDAR is focused on creating a space where he can operate on his own terms. As a first-generation American raised between cultural expectations and creative ambition, his early background in piano and exposure to hip-hop helped form a foundation that later expanded into electronic music. That mix of influence shaped his direction and continues to guide how he approaches each project.

After a rebrand in 2024, SEDAR began refining a sound that moves between house, funk, pop, and trap. His style reflects his time in San Francisco and his current work in Los Angeles. He has performed alongside names like R3hab, secure plenty of playlisting with Spotify and Apple Music, and released records with Spinnin’ Records and Universal. These moments point to a clear focus on building consistency and momentum.

His debut EP, THIS IS POST-EDM, marks a clear step forward. The title signals an interest in dance music, but also shows his decision to go in a different direction.

We spoke with TATE about how this project came together and what’s ahead. See the exclusive interview below!

Interview with TATE SEDAR

Following the release of his debut EP THIS IS POST-EDM, we caught up with TATE SEDAR to talk through genre identity, creative resets, and lessons from the journey so far.

When you first started playing around with the idea of Post-EDM, did it feel like a conscious reinvention, or did the sound just naturally pull you in that direction?

TATE SEDAR: Hey, wEDM. Love this question. The thing about post-EDM is it’s just kind of the sounds that I’ve always been drawn to, then finally putting a name on that concept. I noticed more in the early 2020s, I was doing a lot of lofi-based sampling and using real instruments—which ended up calling back to my influences of Motown, hip-hop, and rock. So, in that way, it kind of was just natural. Then I eventually combined it with my roots of electro house. I thought: “This is my inspiration, let’s just put a name or title to it.” And it also felt like something that others might do—which gave more of a reason to the entitlement of a new genre or sound.

This EP pulls together a lot of different moments from your career. If you had to pinpoint a single turning point that shaped where you are now, what would it be?

TATE: I think that turning point came at just about the end of 2023, when I realized I’d been focusing on shows so much and not releasing music. I’d only put out one production that year and had all this music I needed to put out. I figured, throughout all the tracks, there was mostly a common thread of analogism, and that’s when I realized it was time to rebrand into something that I thought fit that sound and people could relate to.

There’s a strong push and pull between digital and analog in your production. Was there a particular session where you felt like you’d really cracked the code on that balance?

TATE: Every track kind of was its own experience. Some would lean more towards real instruments, others more electro house and I’d have to lessen up on that. But I think I started to crack the code in finding a balance that I hear and feel, versus something necessarily... quantified.

There is a bit of a split between drops and other sections that can show that “balance.” A lot of the vocal-accompanied sections revolve around chord progressions and melodies delivered with real instruments—an analog warmth. Drops could be more dynamic, free-flowing, and digital, yet still layered with analog fills. That nods to my complextro influences.

I think things started to come together with a track like “Our Goodbye.” It had both analog and digital elements, and ended up becoming something memorable, with a message, and still danceable. That one really became the full package. And it only happened through trial and error—chipping away until it felt right. It also helped that it ended up being catchy and commercially viable, which made it a peak moment in post-EDM, you could say.

“San Francisco” reflects the city’s impact on you. What’s one sonic detail in that track that feels like home to you?

TATE: The funky chops in the drop are what make it sound like San Francisco. I grew up with groove- and funk-derived music from stations like 98.1 [before it became adult contemporary]. But I think the sound that feels most like SF is in the second drop, where there’s this ringing in the chops—it reminds me of the screeching of cable car wheels. That’s a very specific San Francisco sound. It eventually solidified the title and artwork.

With “Emotions,” you blended house, hip-hop, and trap into something uniquely your own. Did that track mark a shift in how you approach making music?

TATE: Most definitely. “Emotions” was my first attempt at what became post-EDM. I was experimenting with vinyl-cut samples and bass house beats. At the end I thought, “this is something all on its own.” Every project after that followed a similar direction. It became the precipice for the genre. And I’m grateful.

“Our Goodbye” went through multiple versions before the final release. What was the biggest challenge in nailing down its identity?

TATE: There were two major challenges. First, the original instrumental didn’t fit the vocal at all. Second, I couldn’t come up with a drop that matched the energy of the vocal. It wasn’t clicking.

Once I started playing with guitar layers and considered Liv’s Americana and folk style, it sparked a new direction. The result leaned into electropop. Although influenced by early 2010s dancepop, the drums and layers kept it within the dance realm. It just clicked.

You’ve collaborated with artists like Otto Palmborg and Liv Kennedy. What makes someone the right fit for a TATE SEDAR track?

TATE: A vocalist is like an instrument to me, and I mean that in the best way. I write melodies that are memorable, and if I don’t remember one, I don’t make the track. Not even from pickiness—it’s just instinct.

I also look at what a vocalist can convey emotionally, whether or not they write their own lyrics. I want to evolve songwriting content, so I gravitate toward vocalists open to that. Still, a strong melody or theme always grabs me. That’s the baseline.

Your releases have landed on major Spotify playlists and press outlets. Has navigating the business side of music changed the way you create?

TATE: Absolutely. Since the streaming era began, music is often judged by data as much as by feel. A song can sound like a hit but never reach the right listeners without playlist support. That can influence how and what you create.

I’ve been trying to loosen up on that mindset. It’s easy to get caught up in what will “perform,” but at the end of the day, people are still listening. You have to try new things, see what lands, and keep moving forward. Music is still meant to connect.

Now that this chapter is closing with the EP, what’s one creative lesson you’re taking with you into whatever comes next?

TATE: There were a lot of lessons in this project, especially since it followed a rebrand. But one key thing stuck with me from college: the industry values difference. It’s not looking for the next [insert superstar name]—it’s looking for what’s new.

Post-EDM is something I believe in, but also something that felt true to my influences. The bigger takeaway is to keep experimenting. Inspiration drives my process, but without trying new things, you never grow. And that’s what’s next—more trial, more error, more learning.

If you could go back and tell your younger self one thing—before the shows, the numbers, the collaborations—what would it be?

TATE: I’d tell myself to be more experimental and release more music. I used to be trapped by perfectionism. I thought every track had to be a hit. That mindset slowed me down. I’d tell my younger self to build a catalog, finish more work, and trust the process. You become more confident through output. Just make and release—let it evolve from there.